Display sign structure



w. A. MAFiTIN DISPLAY smn STRUCTUREI Sept. 16, 1952.

Fill ed Feb. 15, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Fig. I.

Ill-Hill."\I-HH-HH-lHl-llll-llil-lll William A Marl/h IN V EN TOR.

Attorneys .Sept. 16, 1952 w.fA. MAFiTlN DISPL'AY SIGN STRUCTURE 2 SHEETS- -E-SHEEi' 2 Filed Feb. 15, 1948 g- 1/// 1111/1 [III/1 William A. Marfin' v JNVENTOR Patented Sept. 1 6, 1952 7 i 2,610,423 U mspmr SIGN smoemuae William Ai Martin;Sweetwaten'fex.

Application: February 13, 194s, Serial No; 8,112-

The principal object oi this'inven-tion resi desin providing a highly o'rnamental andv attractive, il-- luminated. advertisingdisplay sign whereon. the message or representation display may be easily varied.

Animportar'it feature of the'invention resides the provision of Van-illuminated: sign consisting of aecasing'thaviiig'a source of illumination thereinconibinedfwith a corrugated-transparent panel in the frontofi said illumination, togetherrwith transverse supporting ribs secured: to. the outer surface of. saidipanel for selectively and detachably receiving a plurality'of letters or otheradvertising and displayindicia.

A further feature of the invention residesin I the provision of an advantageous, simple and novel supporting means for securing and mounting the --transparent corrugated panels in the front-openend of the-sign casing.-

A still further feature ofthe invention resides in: the: provision of an improved arrangement-x1301 forming the transparent panel-by means fa -plu-- v rality of corrugated sheets of transparent plastic together with areadily detachable means for rigidly securingthe sheets to the panelsupport or mounting means. i Q 7 And a final important; feature and object'of the invention to be specifically enumerated herein, is to provide an attractive novelty advertising and display sign which maybe constructed in any size desired, of inexpensive materials, may be readily changed to vary the message or exhibit displayed, and which shall be highly ef icient for the purposes intended.

These together with various ancillary features andiobjfects of the invention which willllater beconic-apparent as the followingdescription-proseeds, are attained by this device, a preiierred inbodi'mentof which has been illustrated byway of example only in the accompanying drawings, wherem Figure l is a-frag mentaryf-ront elevational view of the display sign constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken through the housing and casing of the illuminated display sign;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the transparent panel, showing the w en. (01. 40-132) manner of;detaehably-mountingr-the display indiciathereon, and taken -fromathe front of: the -1' 1 i 1 x a Figure '4' is 5 a fragmentary group a perspective view illustrating the construction and manner of assembling a pair of itransparentsheets to form the transparent corrugated; panel and-fer detachably securing the same tothe mounting ar d-supporting means of tl-ie device;

Figure 5 I is a fragmentary vertical? transverse sectional detailview taken upon anenlarged scale through a portion of the device and illustrating the construction of; the panel supportingandfastening means;-and

Figure: 6 is a perspective View of oneof the sign indicia, illustrating,- thernannei of attaching the same to the transparent panel; v

Referring now more specifically to the-accompanying drawings, wherein like-inumeralsj designate similar parts throughout the various'views', attention is directed more particularly; to Figure 2, wherein it will be seen that:the-illuminated displayjsign embodying the prinoiple's'of this inventionfconsists oi a generally, rectangular housin or casing l0, having a closed back wall I2,

' and an open front'wall l4, withinwhich is rigid- 1y secured. asby welding l6; an L-shaped channel member l8 constituting a framefor receiving; and supporting a transparentplastic panel of any suitable construction indicated .generally by thenumeral20.

As will be clearly seen bygreferenceto' Fi ure-2, a plurality of electriclight ,bu1bs22 of any desired construction are supported by the rear wall. [2 of the casing, and: extend forwardly into close proximity totransparent panel 20,11; being under indicated "best'in: Figure 5, are a pluralit g panels 211 and securingmeans; one of which is illustrated in Figure 5, and which as shown consists of a rod 2'4- whose horizontally and forwardly extending end is externally threaded'as at 26., and which is provided with-a preferably integral cruciform-shaped face '28 which is detachably secured to the inner surface either-ear wall l2 as by fastening bolts 30.- The end of the screw-threadedportion 215 51 therod fl preferably terminates in proximity tothe rear or inner surface of the transparent panel 2 0. Adiustably-secured upon thero'd '2' lis-the internally threaded sleeve 32. It is contemplated that this sleeve will be adjusted longitudinally of the rod 3 24 upon the threads 26 thereof in order to position the outward end of the sleeve in abutment against the inner or rear surface of the transparent panel 20 for bracing and mounting the same. A headed screw or other fastening means 34 of any desired construction extends through suitable openings in the panel 20 whereby the latter is clamped tightly against the outer end of the sleeve 32,-.it being understood that the transparent panels may be readily mounted in' the casings or housings ID of different thick- 4 overlapping corrugated sheets may be readily applied by giving the inner sheet a lateral motion to engage the same, and by giving the outer sheet a vertical motion, whereby the corrugations of the sheet do not prevent their attachment to the fastening screw. It should be here noted that the fastening rods 24 are not merely applied to the ends of the sheets 46 and 48, but may be applied at variousintervals throughout their area to give'the necessary rigid reinforcement required for large signs.

From the foregoing, it is felt that the manner of constructing and utilizing the invention together with the advantages arising therefrom nesses, and when so mounted the panel is secured to the end of the sleeve 32, and also drawn tightly against the upwardly turned flange 36 of the L-shaped frame 18.

Attention is next directed to Figures 3 and 4 for a better understanding of the construction of the transparent panel. The latter, of course, can be made from any suitable material, and as shown is preferably corrugated with vertical grooves in order to stiifen the panel and give the same'greater structural strength. Secured in any suitable manner to the corrugations 32 of the panel, and extending horizontally or transversely thereacross, are a plurality oi" parallel outwardly and upwardly inclined ribs 40 constituting fastening means upon which may be detachably hung indicia of any suitable type such for example as solid or if desired hollow or other indicia means such as theprinted'or script letters 42, shown in Figures 1, 3 and 6. As will be seen by particular reference to Figure 6, the rear side of the indicia 42 is provided with suitable slot 44 appropriately shaped and proportioned for detachable engagement upon the ribs 40 whereby the indicia may be readily applied to but easily removed from the supportingribs as clearly illustrated in Figures 2 and 3.

As will bemore clearly apparent from' reference to Figure 4, it is contemplated that the transparent panel may be formed of any desired size by detachably securing together a plurality of transparent, vertically corrugated sheets of transparent plastic, two such sheets being indicated in Figure l at 48 and 48. By assembling a plurality of sheets, obviously the same standard forms may be employed to produce illuminated advertising signs of any desired size and shape. In order to conveniently assemble the sheets to form the transparent panel 20, and alsoto remove one or more sheets to obtain access to the interior of the casing ID, a suitable detachable connection is provided with the. fastening screw 34 and sleeve 32, whereby the sheets may be applied or removed without the necessity forremoving the screw. This-means preferably consists of a marginal slot Ell'formed in'the edge of the sheet 46, whereby the'sheet may be slid sidewise upon the shank of the screw 34 between the head thereof and the end of the sleeve ,32; while the sheet 48 adjacent its marginal edge is provided with a keyhole slot 52 wherebythe enlarged portion may be readily'passed over the head 34, and the sheet then moved vertically until the narrow portionof the slot is engaged upon the stem of the screw and whereby; the same is prevented from unintentional passage therefrom over the head thereof. This arrangement has been foundto be satisfactory sincethe .willbe. readily understood and further explanationis believed to be unnecessary. However,

since numerous modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art after a consideration vention, what is claimed as new is as follows:

of the foregoing specification and accompanying drawings, it is not intended to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and all suitablemodifications and equivalents may be resorted to falling within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus disclosed and described the in- A display sign structure including a casing having'a'back wall, an open front and asource of illumination therein, a transparent corrugated panel at the open end of said casing, mounting means in said casing carried by said back wall and supporting said panel, a plurality of parallel upwardly inclined ribs secured to said panel and a series of indicia elements with inclined supporting notches for mounting uponsaid ribs, said mounting means including a threaded rod having a base plate securedto said back wall, an internally threaded sleeve on said rod, the forward end of said sleeve'engaging the inner surface of said panel, an L-shaped frame secured to said front wall, and a screw extending through said panel for attachment to said sleeve and securing said panel against said L-shaped frame, said panel including. a plurality of overlapping corrugated sheets, and means for detachably positioning overlapping adjacent edges of said sheets under the head of said screw, said means including a keyhole slot in the edges of one sheet, having an opening of sufiicient diameter at one end andof insufficient diameter at the other end to pass the screw head, and a marginal slot in the edges of the other sheet to receive the screw but prevent passage of the head.

WILLIAM A. MARTIN.

nnrnnnncss CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

'UNITED STATES PATENTS 

